Controlled delivery of antibodies from injectable hydrogels

Abstract

Therapeutic antibodies are currently used for the treatment of various diseases, but large doses delivered systemically are typically required. Localized controlled delivery techniques would afford major benefits such as decreasing side effects and required doses. Injectable biopolymer systems are an attractive solution due to their minimally invasive potential for controlled release in a localized area. Here, alginate-chitosan hydrogels are demonstrated to provide controlled delivery of IgG model antibodies and also of Fab antibody fragments. Also, an alternate delivery system comprised of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres loaded with antibodies and encapsulated in alginate was shown to successfully provide another level of control over release. These biopolymer systems that offer controlled delivery for antibodies and antibody fragments will be promising for many applications in drug delivery and regenerative medicine.

Keywords: Alginate; Antibodies; Antibody fragments; Chitosan; Controlled release; PLGA.